Getting started in Model Railways

A model railway is the Christmas ideal gift. It is the start in a hobby that can grow with you and you will never be short of ideas for presents in the future! It is easy to get confused when starting out. What gauge should you select? Should you choose digital or analogue? Steam or Diesel? Which manufacturer? See below for help with those questions:

Which Gauge?

In the UK there are two popular gauges - OO Gauge and N Gauge. You may also see these referred to as 4mm Scale and 2mm Scale respectively, but don't get too hung up about this - it will make no difference when you are starting out! OO Gauge is the most popular and there is far more rolling stock and accessories available for this gauge. N Gauge is very useful if you are short of space - you can get four times as much onto an N Gauge layout as you can in the same space in OO Gauge. You can see our selection of N Gauge train sets here >>>.  In recent years O Gauge has increased in popularity and TT is also now an option. You can see our selection of TT Gauge train sets here >>>. For the rest of this guide we will only refer to OO Gauge, although the principles are the same in the other gauges.

Digital (DCC) or Analogue?

With analogue you can only run one train on each circuit of track at a time. The speed is controlled by the power controller which increases or reduces the voltage to the track as you increase or reduce the speed setting. In time you can learn to wire your layout to allow more than one train to operate by splitting the track in sections, but you need not worry about this now. This is the way model railways have been controlled for many years, and around 50% of all train sets sold are still controlled by this method.

Digital allows you more flexibility by providing a constant voltage to the track along which coded signals are sent. The locomotive will be fitted with a DCC decoder. The decoder in the digital locomotive then receives the instructions and either speeds up or slows down according to what was sent from the controller. Digital also allows further instructions to be sent, such as lights on or off, or the rate of acceleration or braking. With sound fitted locomotives you can also switch sounds on and off, sound the horn, or any number of other functions. Digital has a higher initial cost but is then much simpler to wire in the future. You will need to ensure that any locomotives you buy in future are DCC Fitted or DCC Ready. Any locomotive which is DCC ready can have a decoder simply plugged in, while DCC Fitted or DCC Sound come with the decoder pre-fitted. We can always fit decoders on request for a small fee.

Which manufacturer?

It does not matter - as long as they are the same gauge then everything will run on the same track. Most people will have heard of Hornby, but there is also Bachmann, Peco, Dapol and Heljan, all of whom produce high quality models and track.

Steam or Diesel?

Entirely up to you! It is your railway, you can run what you like!

Suggested Starter Sets

Below are some of our most popular starter sets.  They all contain everything you need to get started, including train, rolling stock, track and power controller.  Click on the picture for further information or to buy. You can also see these in our Camborne or Guildford shops.

R1292M Hornby Diesel Mixed Freight Train Set A great train set to get started with, including all you need in the one box! £107.99

R1286M Hornby Freight Runner Train Set £71.99

GWR High Speed Train Set - £144.99

See our entire range of OO Gauge Train Sets here>>>.

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Thomas the Tank Engine 

Bachmann-Thomas-and-Friends-Thomas set. £124.95

Not forgetting the more junior train enthusiast

Playtrains by Hornby is toy train system  aimed specifically at youngsters just starting out on their first railway adventures. The system comprises of battery operated and remote-controlled locomotives complete with working lights, three speeds in both forwards and reverse, plus multiple sounds.

For more details on all the Playtrains sets available click here

Still too much choice? Choose a gift voucher!  

Gift voucher - £10.00



Gift voucher - £20.00

If you just want an ornamental set, this Christmas Santa Express set could be zackly woss needed!


Christmas Special R9363M Hornby Santas Express Rechargeable Battery Train Set The perfect Christmas ornament: lights, sound and joy! £35.99


Christmas postal dates and store opening hours

To check our store opening hours during the festive period and also information on last posting dates click here...

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